An explosion killed two Palestinians along the Gaza border with Egypt Thursday. Palestinian officials said the blast was caused by an Israeli airstrike, but the Israeli military denied any involvement. Residents said the explosion was on the Egyptian side of the border.
The incident took place after at least three rockets were fired from the Sinai peninsula into Israel's southernmost resort city of Eilat late on Wednesday. Daesh militants in the Sinai Peninsula claimed responsibility for the rocket attack. Daesh-linked groups waging an insurgency against Egypt in the Sinai have also claimed responsibility for past rocket attacks in the Eilat area.
Ashraf al-Qedra, Gaza's health ministry spokesperson, said in a statement the two men were "martyred and five other people were wounded as a result of being targeted by an Israeli warplane along the Palestinian-Egyptian borders". According to al-Qedra, the two men killed were identified as Hossam al-Sufi, 24, and Mohammed al-Aqra, 38. The Israel-Gaza border has been largely quiet in recent months, but earlier this week, Israel carried out several strikes on Hamas targets after a rocket landed in Israel. Israel holds Hamas responsible for any fire originating from Gaza.
